Mercantilism

British Colonial Policy A

1) What is mercantilism? (Use your dictionary reading)

2) What is a favorable balance of trade?

3) How did England become rich from its colonies?

4) Besides becoming rich, what other advantages did mercantilism have for England?

5) According to the Mercantile Theory, why did the colonies exist?

6) What benefits did the colonies receive from being part of England’s mercantile system?

7) What are 2 reasons many Americans not like England’s colonial policy?

8) What was the name of the laws passed by British Parliament to control trade with the colonies? 

9) How did the trade laws restrict trade? Name at least 3 

10) What  2 things did colonists get around trade laws and the Currency Act of 1764?

11) What did the colonists think about the laws that occurred under the British policy of mercantilism? Was it possible for the colonies to become economically independent?

12) What do you think about mercantilism?  Was it a good or bad policy?  Explain why?

13) What would you have done if you were the King of England at this time?  Would you have changed anything about British policy? 

British Colonial Policy B 

1) What is mercantilism? (Use your dictionary and your textbook)

2) According to the pictures who was helped and made wealthy by the British Policy?

3) How did England become rich from its colonies? (Use the reading -paragraph 2 & 3- and pictures)

4) What products and raw materials did England get from America? (use pictures and paragraph 4 & 6)

5) What benefits did the colonies receive from being part of England’s mercantile system?  (paragraph 5) 

6) What are 2 reasons many Americans not like England’s colonial policy? (paragraph 5)

7) How did England control American trade?   (Paragraph 6) 

8) What does manufacturing mean?  Explain the following sentences “When the colonies began to go into manufacturing, Parliament passed laws which prohibited them from exporting finished products.”  (Dictionary, paragraph 6 and the bottom row of pictures)

9) The colonists used a system of “barter” when England would not let American colonies print their own money.  What does barter mean and how does it end the need for money? (paragraph 7 and dictionary)

10) What do you think about mercantilism?  Was it a good or bad policy?  Explain why?

11) What would you have done if you were an American colonist at that time?